“This book is mean and kinky, desperate and romantic…I was consumed.” – KC Caron, Goodreads ReviewerEdward Fasbender is a devil. He’s my father’s biggest rival. He takes what he wants, and he bows to no one. And now Edward Fasbender wants me.I didn’t expect to want him back. Having him is not in the cards, not when a union with him would destroy my father. But that doesn’t mean I can’t play … doesn’t mean I can’t play with him a bit.
Except, I’ve never played against such a ruthless opponent. Edward is cold and vicious, and my blood has never run hotter. They say you should choose the devil you know, but I’ve always preferred long odds.
Even if it’ll get me slain.
“Oh my. I was hooked. You won’t be able to put this down!” – Aleatha Romig, NYT Bestselling Author
Rivalry is book one in New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author, Laurelin Paige, dark and edgy Slay series.
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Oh Laurelin, Laurelin, Laurelin!!! You’ve taken me on the most exhilarating ride and left me completely shredded. My chest is ripped open with my heart hanging from my chest. My lungs scream for the oxygen that I can’t take in quick enough. I’m diaphoretic and my skin feels like thousands of needles are pricking it.
I’ve read and loved all your books and your alpha males have always brought my girl parts to their knees. But I must say (and for me), Edward is by far my most favorite alpha male character. I didn’t think anyone would be Hudson, but I am so wrong. And I never (in a million years) thought I would ever like, let alone cheer for, Celia.
As I read this book, I loved how cold Edward wanted to appear to everyone, especially Celia, but deep down, he has a passion for her that he doesn’t even want to admit. He wants to in control, but as the book progresses, Celia is slowly chipping away at his shell of an exterior. There is a story behind his parents, his sister, and his ex-wife, and I can’t wait to have that history revealed.
Celia has always been a character that I loathed. I felt her history of game playing was horrendous. She always seemed to lack a heart and had general contempt for others. She has met her match in Edward, and her attraction to Edward is like nothing she’s experienced before.
I love how you brought two lost souls together. Neither will admit they are lost nor would they admit that the other is just what they need. I’m not one to wish away time (we all know how quickly it goes), but I’m ready for next June to be here so we will have the quartet. 😉 Thank you Laurelin for this amazing journey and I can’t wait to see how high this ride will take us.
4.25 stars–SLAY: Rivalry is the first instalment in Laurelin Paige’s contemporary, adult SLAY dark, romance quartet focusing on billionaire media mogul Edward Fasbender, and Celia Werner. The SLAY Quartet is a spin-off from the author’s FIXED series, and falls in the timeline before Fixed Forever and a few years after Forever with You.SLAY: Rivalry can be read as a stand aloe without any difficulty Any important information from the previous instalments is revealed where necessary
NOTE: Due to the story line content, there may be some triggers for more sensitive readers.
Told from first person point of view (Celia) SLAY: Rivalry follows Celia Werner as she is propositioned by her father’s enemy Edward Fasbender. As the heir to the Werner Media Company, Celia finds herself targeted by a man whose predilection towards domination and control may be beyond anything she could have imagined. As one who knows how to play the ‘game’ Celia accepts Edward’s offer of marriage, a marriage in name only that leaves our heroine struggling with a direction in life, but a life that is no longer under her control. Celia entered into the ‘marriage’ wholly aware that her life was about to change but wasn’t prepared for the dark and dangerous consequences of her actions.
Celia Werner is a manipulator who plays ‘games’ with people’s lives. Having previous met Celia in the author’s Fixed Series, we will learn to understand the mind of a woman who battles her own personal demons, demons that lead to her need for control.
SLAY: Rivalry is a story of power and control; of domination and submission; of hatred, anger, vengeance and betrayal; an intense and emotional tale. Celia believes she is in control but she lost that control the moment she agreed to become Edward’s wife. The premise is dark and raw; Edward is a dangerous, angry and frightening b*astard; Celia has come up against someone much stronger at playing the ‘game’. SLAY: Rivalry ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.
If you have not yet read the Fixed series, I’d wholeheartedly recommend you do…not because you can’t read this one without those but because The Fixed series will give you a whole lot of insight into Celia and “The Game” that she and Hudson played for years. You could read this quartet without reading Fixed but again, I highly recommend those books in any case. When we last left the Fixed world, we were thrown into some mysterious life that Celia had been living. With this Slay Quartet, we are getting the nitty gritty of how that relationship came to be and WHY it came to be. To say that I love Edward Fasbender is perhaps a bit facetious because he is a hard, angry, cold man. BUT as with any of Laurelin’s stories, there is way more to the man that we can even know just yet. Celia doesn’t know the half of what is going on in his mind and I am completely enthralled and intrigued as to what will come next for these two. Is the player finally meeting her match? Is she being played? Or is there WAY more to the story? Celia has always intrigued me….we THINK we know why she is the way she is from reading Fixed but do we REALLY? There is also way more to our dear Celia than we know but I’m looking forward to watching these two peel the onion layers, one at a time, and seeing who will tear up first.
4.5 stars. To say that I was reluctant to read about Celia Warner is an understatement. But the synopsis lured my interest, particularly Edward Fasbender, especially from what I’ve already seen of him so far (from a distance). And holy smokes!, Celia and Edward go head to head in this battle of wills. I’m not even sure what the end game is anymore because it keeps changing and they are both so resolute in what they want in this business arrangement. However, I will say my attitude towards Celia has changed. Hudson Pierce initially baffled me in the Fixed series by his lack of emotion, only to finally uncover it and discover that he was human after all and had a wealth of it. Celia was his accomplice. Celia’s motivation for engaging in manipulations (or games, as she calls it) comes from a place of buried pain that equates to seeking numbness and attention. And I truly felt for her in this book even though I still don’t know her whole story. I even advocated for her because she’s done a lot of bad things, going so far as to being a bad person, but now I see that her motivations are not purely evil. Definitely misguided, though. As for Edward, he’s a force to be reckoned with in a$$hole territory. Yet I loved that about him since it alludes to the fact that he has multiple layers waiting to be discovered. He reveals nothing and the mystery surrounding him only builds intrigue. He’s always a step ahead of Celia and she refuses to be outwitted, but can’t help being drawn back to him. Their chemistry is electric and intense, a very distinct hate vibe pulsating through it, which I loved, knowing how that translates intimately. Celia has met her match because Edward can be so cold and indifferent; I would love a peek into his thoughts. And of all the possible things thrown in at the end, that was most certainly NOT what I expected (because OMG!) and now I need the next installment!
Wow!! What a fantastic book. I could not turn the pages quickly enough and Celia is just as awful as I remember her from the Fixed Trilogy but I have to say I did love getting some insight into her character & motivations for “why” she was the way she was. I’m not sure how it happened but I even warmed to her a little in this one – who knew!!! Now Edward – well he is all sorts of dirty and evil. Like genuinely evil. They kind of deserve each other. That ending had my face like this
I absolutely CANNOT wait for book 2!!
OMG! Totally blown away! Laurelin Paige has out done herself with this first book in Celia and Edward’s story.
A truly delicious and decadent masterpiece with all its kinky goodness! Can’t wait to see where it all leads.
Are you ready to be Slayed!
Laurelin
Let the games begin…. You’re about to get a taste of the devil.
I couldn’t wait for Celia’s story to begin, I thought I knew her story but I was wrong, I never anticipated her games could get more dangerous, that she could get so desperate she’d play with the fire that is Edward Fasbender. He’s a whole new level of man. He’s dangerous and enthralling, he’s consuming and cold, RUTHLESS. He’s arrogant but at the same time so intriguing. He’s about to SLAY!
I knew this book was going to be different but what I didn’t know was that Laurelin Paige was going to write on a whole new level and slay us with such an epic game of Rivalry!
The build up and angst along with the torment and heat these two bring to the pages is HOT! I’d like to say Celia has met her match but I’m not sure she realizes who she’s playing with. Something tells me that things are just getting started and about to turn into a vicious cycle of who can beat who at their own game. The manipulating has begun and I’m dying to see who’s left standing at the end. Something tells me Celia will bring him to his knees.
This book is SEXY AND SEDUCTIVE! I’m completely ADDICTED!
And that ENDING! WHAT A CLIFFHANGER! I’m WRECKED!
The writing was brilliant.
The story telling was perfection.
The heat was off the charts.
This book will leave your insides utter chaos.
My new OBSESSION IS EDWARD FASBENDER.
OH! MY! OH! MY! OH! MY!!! CELIA MAY HAVE MET HER MATCH! I was so excited to find out what direction Laurelin Paige would take with this loathsome woman! And now I can say: it was with good reason and so worth the wait! Seeing her in such a vulnerable state while keeping her conniving ways in tact made for such an engaging read. With Edward’s cold, self-serving, calculating and distant attributes, I was hopeful that Celia would truly get what karma was ready to serve up. But then I couldn’t tell if maybe Celia bit off more than she could chew. Laurelin makes you second guess your sanity by rooting for Celia. She makes you re-think your thoughts on these characters. Who is really the bad one here?!?! Oh my gosh! Read this! Don’t pass it up! Snatch it up and be prepared to devour it!
Celia Werner, Interior designer, socialite, daughter of Madge & Warren Werner from Werner media, trust fund baby, who enjoys life and games, so many games. What happened to Celia Werner to leave her best friend/boyfriend Hudson Pierce?
Edward Fasbender, Son of the late Stefan and Amelie Fasbender, brother to Camilla and her son Freddie. Father to Genevieve, and Hagen and his ex-wife Marion who humiliated him by having an extramarital affair. Edward also owns Accelecom, a multibillion-dollar British Media company, has been described as driven, calculating, strategic and monomaniacal. So when Edward makes a business-marital proposal all bets are off on who will have the upper hand in this game of cat & mouse? Will the companies merge? Who will come out on top, Werner or Fasbender? This book leaves you with more questions than answers but will it be worth the anticipation, the waiting is going to kill me. Yeah, it’s that good! So your thinking okay it’s about another hot alpha billionaire looking to merge his company with that of his competitor, it’s that but so much more?
If you are familiar with Laurelin Paige’s Fixed series, then you think you know all about Celia Werner. She’s the woman who had a rather disturbing relationship with Hudson Pierce, the woman Fixed fans loved to hate.
So why would Laurelin Paige want to tell Celia’s story, and over the course of a quartet, no less?
Because, dear readers, it turns out that Celia Werner is interesting. She compels. She fascinates. She is multi-dimensional. She even – GASP! – makes you care about her.
I KNOW. You didn’t expect to ever do that, did you?
Celia and Edward are combustible from the start. He wants her to marry him as part of a business transaction, and she wants to say no. Bless her. She tries and tries, but we know–even she knows–she will say yes.
I loved how Laurelin Paige surprised me so many times while reading this book. Celia isn’t who I expected her to be. Edward has more depth to him, and I am achingly curious to learn more about the cold, disdainful, domineering Englishman. Their relationship is nothing like what I thought it would be. And the ending? That cliffhanger? MY GOSH. It is not at ALL what I anticipated. Not even in the general area. Laurelin Paige takes this romance (unholy alliance? tortured tale?) in a wholly different direction, and I am agog.
I love the little moments in this book. I love when Celia is so Celia (she patronizingly explains the difference between an interior decorator and an interior designer with all the supercilious loathing you’d expect), and I loved how much I grew to care about her. When Edward gets the upper hand, I start to worry about my homegirl. Will Celia rise? I also love when Edward’s façade slips, even if for a second. You get a hint as to the man behind the cold exterior, and it makes you want to know more.
Rivalry has so much sexual tension that you worry you will combust with need. Never fear, though. Laurelin Paige may not sate you, but she provides some relief. If nothing else, those scenes make Edward Fasbender even more intriguing.
Now, a word about the Fixed series. Do you need to read it prior to reading this book? Not necessarily. You can pick up enough pertinent details to not feel as if you’re missing something, but you are missing something. For one thing, the Fixed series introduces you to Hudson Pierce, who is one of the great Hot Heroes. And for another, it’s a fantastic story of two broken people who fix themselves. (That they do not fix each other is perhaps my favorite thing about that series, aside from Hudson Pierce and his rascally little brother Chandler, who has his own separate book.)
It’s clear in this rivalry between Edward and Celia who has the upper hand, who wins this round. There are three more to come, though, and I know that Laurelin Paige is going to keep surprising me. I can’t wait.
Slay: Rivalry is the first installment of the Slay Quartet, and is freaking brilliant!!
This is the unique and original story made for non-other than Celia, a despicable villain we all hate from the Fixed Trilogy. OMG, she’s freaking evil, right? However, what I didn’t see coming is how deliciously addictive her story will be.
This story is absolutely refreshing, dark, twisted and with all the feels. The writing and the plot are both EPIC. The characters are amazing, believable, and likeable, even the ones you love to hate. The storyline was highly engaging and it pulled me in, making me feel emotionally connected as if I was part of their world. I was so hooked, I couldn’t put the book down, even though I had the fortune to listen to this extraordinary story a few days before.
The blurb itself would give you the core of the storyline, so all I’m going to say is that this has been a fascinating read. I think Celia has found her match, or should I say someone that is 10 steps ahead of her game!
The climax built upon Celia and Edward’s journey right until the last paragraph of this book, is f%$#ing priceless, and I can’t wait for the next installment!! Did a say Edward is the man? He’s the villain of all villains, and I freaking love him! OMG, the wait if going to be torture!!
I totally recommend this book, but if you like to enhance the experience, this is a must-listen! The performance is flawless and brilliant!! Just perfection!! A mind-blowing, wonderful audible experience!!
Celia Werner is just as evil and devious as ever and still hasn’t completely gotten over Hudson, who is happily married, while Celia is still playing “The Game”; preying on weak individuals who fall for her calculating schemes. She has definitely met her match with Edward Fasbender who is her equal in every way. In fact, he is actually the male version of Celia, only more dangerous. Edward is controlling, dominating and the boss at work and at home. He always succeeds in getting what he wants no matter what it takes or no matter who he has to ruin to get it. She finds Edward sexy and larger than life, and he has awakened feelings within her that she thought did not exist. When he proposed a business arrangement that would benefit both of them, she thought he was crazy and found the idea ridiculous. She stormed out of the meeting but couldn’t stop thinking about him. Celia realized that this was the biggest game she would ever play and was confident that she would come out the winner.
It is hard to describe how I feel about Laurelin Paige’s latest book which features everyone’s most hated character, Celia Werner. I had been waiting for her story for a long time and I finally understand how and why she crossed paths with Edward. I was amazed with how much they have in common and how they seem to know each other inside and out. Celia may be the master at playing games with people’s emotions, but Edward’s ability to subconsciously control her is devastatingly wicked and somewhat frightening. The sexual power struggle that exists between Celia and Edward is volatile and seductive and I can only hope they can come to an understanding before it is too late.
Slay One: Rivalry has my head spinning.
I will give you a warning about this book. The first sentence of the blurb is one hundred percent accurate.
Edward Fasbender IS the devil.
AND. I. LOVE. HIM.
He is everything I love about alpha assholes, and I can’t get enough of him. A man that can keep Celia Werner on her toes and off balance? Yes, please! May I have some more?
After reading The Fixed Trilogy I never thought I would feel an ounce of empathy for Celia, but at the same time I could not wait for her story to be told. And that ounce of empathy? It’s now an out pouring.
As delicious as this book was, I am greedy and I want more. Lucky for me, Slay Two: Ruin will be here before I know it.
Until then I will revel in the ways both Celia and I have been slayed by Edward.
Holy shit. Edward Fasbender is an utter bastard. I hate him right now. I want to strangle him with Celia’s skimpy bikini and smash his skull in with her Laboutin stiletto.
Utter. Utter. Bastard. But man he rocks a tux, and he’s packing.
Going to make some bread to get the anger out if me. Then I’ll come back to add more.
Frustration taken out on the bread dough. I’m going to call it Edward when I cut it into pieces and eat it.
I hated Celia Werner. Detested her and her games. She hurt Alayna and I never forgave her. I think I even hated her more than Leah in Dirty Red. So why have I just sat reading this book wanting her to win the Game and get one over on that rat bastard Edward Fasbender?
Laurelin Paige how did you make me like her? I just don’t get it! You minx! Hurry up and get book two ready before I have to open a bakery.
Celia was never a favorite of mine so I want sure what to expect going into this book. However, Laurelin Paige is a goddess of words and never ceases to amaze me.i can’t wait for the next book. I loved this one.
Celia is pulling out all the stops in this Game! Elizabeth @ Carolina Chic’s Read
Celia is a woman we have all grown to dislike. Edward may just be the man that makes her vibe up the game for good. But somehow Laurelin Paige has me rooting for the devil.. to get her chance. Celia’s story is one you will not put down and you with your jaw hung open. I’m so excited to read her story.
5 Devil in a Red Dress Stars
*spoiler free review
Slay definitly slayed me
Just finish it second ago and I’m dying for the next book! It’s crazy! It can’t be the end for Slay! Oh my lawwwwd the cliffy
If you have meet Hudson Pierce, I’m sure you know Celia Werner and Edward Fasbender. But if you’re like me and haven’t meet Hudson, don’t worry. Celia would still capture you good.
She’s complicated. To the world she play the game with people mind and heart. She’s ice cold, connifing, liar, grade A in B, spoiled rich girl with nothing on her name but her father’s. But I see the scared little girl in her that just want someone to really see her and love her for she is. And she thinks she might find it in Edward.
Oh she knows he didn’t love her when he propose. She won’t be gullible and think romance with Edward. But he see her. He see the real her. So maybe…. Just maybe….
But Edward… He is complicated. Layers of complicated. She couldn’t read him like she always do with another man. He intrigue her. He makes her feel things. Something she doesn’t have all these years. But when he only keep pushing her away, keep belittle her, keep making her feel like a property and not a woman. Not a wife. While keep patronizing her to submit, she decide she would play a game to destroy him.
But what if it backfire?
What if she’s the one got destroy?
What is she’s the one got slayed?
I love that we finally get to see inside Celia’s mind. I hated her in the Fixed Trilogy. I’m glad the author didn’t spin the first book to where you all of a sudden love her. Celia deserves more thought into her character than that. I’m actually not sure where I land by the end of this first book and that in itself is satisfying.
I think there is some bit of vindication that finally someone has come along to shake her world like she has done to others. However, I’m still that reader that wants a happily ever after despite her being enemy #1. I can’t wait to see how Laurelin Paige is going to get the readers through that turbulent path.
This first book just really had me trying to dissect every little thing that was happening and that ending just turned everything upside down. I have no clue where the next book is headed and I absolutely love that.
I loved Edward in the little bit we saw in Fixed Forever but I’m not loving him right now. He’s a jerk. He’s arrogant, and a part of me wants Celia to put him in his place, but then I want Celia to be redeemed as well. My hope is that they will both be redeemed by the end. Just not until after we get that fascinating tale of how they get there.
We first meet Celia and Edward in the past books, now they get their own story. Celia likes to play The Game when she wants her way. She finally meets her match in Edward. In the cut throat business world, there is no give and take, only take. Edward offers a business deal to Celia and the fun starts. Slay: Rivalry is a fun and sexy story, full of shenanigans on the part of Celia. It does end in a cliffhanger in this series. Slay: Ruin cannot come soon enough.
Review copy was received for a honest opinion.
Honestly, this Alpha Billionaire Romance kind of reminds me of a cross between Hannable, American Psyco and Basic Instinct, only without the Canibleism, Murder and Sharon Stone’s Mile-long legs uncrossing while she’d gone commando.
That’s right, this book seems to be filled with head-cases.
Celia is a trust fund baby who only lives to play games with people that only leave them broken in her wake. So she sounds like a sociopath to me. You can tell she has a history, something happened in her past, with her uncle in particular, but no hint to really what. And lord knows what’s going on between her and her parents. She says this game is all about destroying her dad’s enemy, about how happy and proud he’ll be of her, but then often says how she doesn’t care what he or her mother thinks. Everythings so crossed and mixed up.
Edward Fasbender wants to Marry Celia, he doesn’t love her, but her father is his business rival and he has a plan to take over Daddy’s Company. Oh and he likes to play games too…
So two people playing games with the other, each seemingly bent on destroying the other, honestly, sounds like any normal marriage to me, except this time it’s the man saying no sex.
Honestly, found the main characters rather unlikeable, but I’m intrigued to read on.
Be warned, this book ends on a major cliff and only has the feel of half the story.